From Creation to Sinai: Jewish, Christian, and Qur'anic Traditions in Interaction

Group Conference

The workshop is part of the IIAS Goup of 2016-2017, entitled: Genesis and Exodus in Antiquity: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Traditions in Interaction

The Book of Genesis and the beginning of the Book of Exodus are of utmost importance for many fundamental issues in the study of Judaism, Christianity, and nascent Islam. Comparative studies transcending the boundaries between the corpora of varying religious traditions are often mutually illuminating. The anticipated collaboration of scholars in the proposed research group will be a rare opportunity for fruitful synergy, especially since all the participants are engaged in more than one field of research.

The earliest material related to Genesis and Exodus is embedded in the literature of the Second Temple period. Many traditions and ideas that emerged at that time continued to exist in rabbinic Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Christian interpretations, traditions and themes are often adaptations of Jewish traditions; on the other hand, rabbinic literature includes many traditions that in fact respond to Christianity. The Qur'an reflects, or reacts to, earlier traditions, both Jewish and Christian. Few scholars integrate the data of more than one religion, but no single scholar can be at home in all the rich corpora and religious worlds of ancient Judaism, the Church Fathers, Gnosticism and the Qur'an. The endeavor must be twofold: on the one hand, to interpret the various texts (Jewish, Christian, Gnostic, Islamic) in their own context, including their textual transmission, cultural framework and nuances; on the other hand, to observe the contours and dynamics of the tradition as it is transformed throughout periods andcultures. A balanced view can be achieved only by the collaboration and synergy that we are trying to create in this group. The proposed worshop will focus on some of the aspects that will be at the center of our joint group studies and workshops during the IIAS group meetings. It will include the following sessions: General introductory lectures, as well as sessions dealing with various aspects of the above mentioned traditions of exegesis: A. Second Temple Jewish Traditions (including the Dead Sea Scrolls). B. Jewish-Hellenistic Traditions; C. Church Fathers and Christian Traditions (as preserved in Greek and Syriac sources); D. Rabbinic Traditions; E. Traditions preserved in the nascent Islam.

Speaker List:

Yale University, USA

Prof. Harold Attridge

Yale University, USA

Prof. Greg E. Sterling

The Seminar fur Semitistik und Arabistik, Freie Universitat, Berlin

Prof. Angelika Neuwirth

Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat Munchen, Germany

Prof. Loren T. Stuckenbruch

Utrecht University, The Netherlands

Prof. Pieter Van der Horts

Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany

Prof. Stefan Schorch

Oxford University, UK

Prof. Nicolai Sinai

Oxford University, UK

Prof. Jan Joosten

Leiden University

Prof. Bas Ter Romeny

Tel Aviv University

Uri Rubin

Bar Ilan University

Yaakov Kugel

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Yakir Paz

Humboldt-Universitat Zu Berlin

Christoph Markshies

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Menahem Kister

Bar-Ilan University

Esther Eshel

University of Haifa

Hillel Newman

Loyola University Chicago

Thomas H. Tobin

University of Notre Dame

Gary Anderson

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Joseph Witztum

North Carolina State University

William Adler

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Itinerary for From Creation to Sinai: Jewish, Christian, and Qur'anic Traditions in Interaction